ISO 6160:1979

Overview

ISO 6160:1979 - Programming languages - PL/1 is an international standard established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It codifies the programming language PL/1 by adopting the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard X3.53-1976 for the English version and the French standard NF Z 65-500 for the French version. First published in 1979 and reprinted with corrections in 1981, this standard provides formal recognition for PL/1 as a unified programming language specification in both English and French, supporting consistency in data processing and programming worldwide.

Key Topics

• Adoption of National Standards: ISO 6160:1979 brings together two national standards under a single international framework, ensuring that the definition of PL/1 is harmonized for both English and French speakers.
• Formal Recognition: The standard offers official status to PL/1, facilitating its use in international and cross-border IT environments.
• Language Scope: PL/1 is acknowledged in this standard as a robust, general-purpose programming language, widely used in data processing and enterprise computing.
• International Collaboration: The standard was developed with the input of numerous countries, reflecting broad consensus and support, which enhances its acceptance and authority.

Applications

ISO 6160:1979 is significant in a variety of practical contexts related to information processing and software development:

• Legacy System Maintenance: Many classic business, financial, and government systems were developed using PL/1. This standard is an essential reference for organizations tasked with maintaining or migrating such legacy systems.
• Cross-Border IT Projects: By providing equivalent standards in both English and French, ISO 6160 enables seamless collaboration on programming and data processing across international teams, especially in multilingual environments.
• Standardized Documentation: The standard helps ensure that software documentation, training materials, and user manuals for PL/1 remain consistent across different regions and languages.
• Educational Use: Academic institutions teaching PL/1 can rely on ISO 6160:1979 as an authoritative resource for curriculum development and instruction.
• Interoperability: Developers and organizations building tools or compilers for PL/1 benefit from a clear, internationally recognized specification, facilitating compatibility across platforms and markets.

Related Standards

When working with ISO 6160:1979, several other standards are often relevant:

• ANSI X3.53-1976: The American national standard for PL/1, forms the basis for the English version adopted by ISO 6160.
• NF Z 65-500: The French national standard for PL/1, adopted as the French edition for ISO 6160.
• ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 22: Technical committee for languages and software interfaces, which continues the development of programming language standards.
• ISO 2382: Standard for information processing terminology, supporting consistent language in IT documentation.
• Other Programming Language Standards: Such as those for COBOL (ISO 1989) or Fortran (ISO/IEC 1539), for organizations managing mixed-language environments.

In summary, ISO 6160:1979 plays a critical role in establishing a unified, endorsed foundation for the use and understanding of PL/1, promoting efficient data processing and programming practices globally. It remains a valuable standard for ensuring international compatibility, supporting legacy applications, and guiding both new and existing implementations of the PL/1 programming language.